CBSE Practical Examination 2026 – Complete Guidelines & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
(For Classes X & XII – For CBSE Schools, Teachers, Examiners & Students)
1. Overview
CBSE Practical Examination 2026 is designed to evaluate students’ hands-on skills, conceptual understanding, scientific temperament, project work, and practical application of subjects. These SOPs ensure fairness, transparency, safety, and uniformity across all CBSE-affiliated schools.
2. Pre-Examination Planning & Preparation
2.1 Appointment & Communication with Examiners
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CBSE appoints External Examiners (mandatory for Class XII).
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Internal Examiner must immediately contact the External Examiner upon receiving the appointment order.
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Date sheet for practical exams must be mutually decided and uploaded to the CBSE portal.
2.2 Laboratory Preparation (Minimum 7 days before exam)
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Ensure the lab is clean, safe, properly ventilated, and fully functional.
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All equipment, chemicals, apparatus, and models must be tested.
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Backup materials must be prepared in case of equipment failure.
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Seating arrangement chart must be prepared and displayed outside the lab.
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CCTV (if available) should be operational.
https://www.cbse.gov.in/cbsenew/documents/Guidelines_SOP_Practical_Examination_01122025.pdf
2.3 Documentation & Files
Prepare the following:
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Attendance Sheet (with photographs, if required)
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Practical Record Files of every student
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Laboratory Logbook
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Stock register
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Project Files (for relevant subjects)
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Internal Assessment Records
2.4 Student Preparation
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Students must finish Practical Files 7 days before the exam.
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Files must be checked and signed by the concerned subject teacher.
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Students should revise key experiments, diagrams, viva questions, precautions, and theoretical concepts.
3. Examination Day SOPs
3.1 Entry Protocol
Students must bring:
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CBSE Admit Card
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School ID Card
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Signed Practical File (if required)
Examiners must verify identity before allowing entry.
https://www.cbse.gov.in/cbsenew/documents/Guidelines_SOP_Practical_Examination_01122025.pdf
3.2 Conduct Inside the Laboratory
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No bags, mobile phones, or written slips are allowed.
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Only permitted lab materials and stationery can be used.
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Students must follow all lab safety instructions.
3.3 Distribution of Experiments
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External Examiner assigns experiments randomly.
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No student can choose their own experiment.
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Experiments must be allotted in such a way that crowding at apparatus tables is avoided.
3.4 Time Allotted
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Total duration: 2–3 hours (subject-wise)
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Reading Time: 10 minutes
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Experiment Writing: 10–15 minutes
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Performing Experiment: 60–90 minutes
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Viva: 5–10 minutes per student
3.5 Evaluation Procedure
Examiner evaluates based on:
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Accuracy of readings
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Diagram clarity
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Result explanation
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Understanding of theory
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File/Project quality
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Viva responses
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Safety behavior & lab discipline
4. Viva-Voce Protocol
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Conducted exclusively by the External Examiner (Class XII) and jointly in Class X.
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Viva questions must be conceptual, experiment-based, safety-based, and application-oriented.
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No student should be asked irrelevant or syllabus-outside questions.
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Each student must receive individual viva marks (no group viva allowed).
5. Marking Scheme (Detailed)
5.1 Class XII
(Subject-wise distribution may vary as per CBSE circular)
Typical Distribution (30 Marks):
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Experiment Performance | 08–10 |
| Practical File | 05 |
| Project/Activity | 05–07 |
| Viva-Voce | 05 |
| Investigatory Skills | 03–05 |
5.2 Class X
(20–30 Marks depending on subject)
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Practical Activity/Experiment | 06–10 |
| Laboratory Manual/File | 04–05 |
| Viva-Voce | 04–05 |
| Internal Assessment | Remaining |
Marks must be filled carefully and signed by both examiners.
6. Safety & Emergency SOPs
6.1 Personal Safety
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Students must wear aprons, shoes, and safety goggles (if required).
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No student with open wounds/illness should handle chemicals.
6.2 Chemical Safety
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Chemicals must be labeled properly.
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Students must not smell/heat chemicals directly.
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Explosive/expired chemicals must not be used.
6.3 Electrical Safety
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All electrical instruments must be inspected beforehand.
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Students should not touch live wires or wet surfaces.
6.4 Emergency Procedures
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First Aid Kit must be available.
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Fire extinguisher must be accessible and functional.
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A responsible teacher must supervise in case of injury.
7. Documentation & Record-Keeping
7.1 Mandatory Documents
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Attendance Sheets
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Award Lists
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Marks Summary Report
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Internal Assessment Records
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Practical File Verification Records
7.2 Award List Submission
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Must be submitted on the CBSE Portal on the same day or within the given time limit.
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Marks must match the signed hard copy.
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No tampering or overwriting allowed.
7.3 Preservation of Records
Schools must preserve:
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Attendance records
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Award lists
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Practical marks
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CCTV footage (if applicable)
for the duration mandated by CBSE.
8. Roles & Responsibilities
8.1 School Administration
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Provide proper lab setup, safety equipment, and examiner hospitality.
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Ensure fair conduct of examination.
8.2 Internal Examiner
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Assist external examiner.
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Maintain discipline in the laboratory.
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Ensure accurate documentation.
8.3 External Examiner
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Conduct experiments, viva, and evaluate impartially.
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Verify identity and files of students.
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Upload marks within the timeline.
8.4 Students
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Prepare thoroughly.
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Maintain discipline and honesty.
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Follow safety rules.
9. Post-Examination Protocol
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All award lists must be signed by Internal & External Examiner.
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Files and projects must be returned to students after exam period (if permitted).
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Lab must be cleaned and all equipment must be arranged back safely.
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A final Practical Exam Report must be sent to the CBSE Regional Office if required.
10. Common Errors to Avoid
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Using outdated/incorrect experiments.
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Not preparing Practical Files on time.
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Wrongly filled award lists.
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Allowing mobiles or cheating material.
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Starting practical exams without examiner appointment.
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Unsafe handling of chemicals.
11. CBSE Compliance Requirements
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All practical examinations must be held only within the CBSE schedule.
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Dummy numbers or unofficial markings are prohibited.
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Schools must not pressure examiners for high marks.
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Transparent, fair evaluation is mandatory.
12. Final Notes
These SOPs ensure a uniform, transparent, safe, and high-quality practical examination process for CBSE 2026. Schools must strictly adhere to all guidelines to maintain CBSE standards and avoid penalties.
https://www.cbse.gov.in/cbsenew/documents/Guidelines_SOP_Practical_Examination_01122025.pdf
